Ceasefires on paper, War on ground: ongoing violations of agreements in Syria

Since the beginning of January 2026, large parts of northern and eastern Syria have entered one of the most severe phases of military escalation in recent years, despite a flood of political statements issued by the interim government regarding “ceasefires” and “peaceful solutions.” Field developments, however, have consistently revealed a completely different reality one based on relentless attacks, geographical expansion of hostilities, and the systematic breach of every agreement, truce, or understanding that has been announced.

This report documents, in detail and chronological order, how events unfolded, how the war expanded from one front to another and from one city to the next, and how ceasefires were transformed into nothing more than political and media cover to justify attacks and commit massacres against the peoples of the region, foremost among them the Kurdish people.

4 January 2026: A Meeting Collapses at the Last Moment

On 4 January 2026, a delegation from northern and eastern Syria held an official meeting with officials of the interim government to discuss the file of integrating military forces under the framework of the 10 March 2025 agreement. According to sources from DAA, the two sides were on the verge of signing a preliminary agreement when the interim government’s foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, intervened, interrupted the meeting, requested the international coalition delegation to leave, and then informed the delegation from northern and eastern Syria that the meeting had ended without providing any explanation.

This development constituted the first clear indication that the political track was not moving toward de-escalation, but was being deliberately sabotaged, particularly as the interim government is subject to Turkish dictates that categorically reject the rights of the Kurdish people.

5–6 January: Meeting in Paris Between Damascus and Tel Aviv

On 5 and 6 January, a meeting was held in Paris between the interim government and Israel, coinciding with suspicious military movements on several fronts. During this period, the city of Deir Hafir came under shelling, while heavy weapons were transferred to the vicinity of the Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid neighborhoods in Aleppo. Civilian institutions in these areas were also converted into military barracks.

6 January: Attacks on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh

On 6 January 2026, factions affiliated with the interim government launched extensive shelling on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in Aleppo, using tanks, heavy artillery, and drones, with direct support from Turkish UAVs that used Aleppo International Airport as a base to manage the attacks.

The bombardment targeted densely populated residential areas, resulting in hundreds of casualties, killed and wounded. Osman Hospital and Khaled Fajr Hospital were also shelled, in a clear violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits targeting vital civilian facilities.

7 January: Official Statement and Warning of a Comprehensive Explosion

On 7 January, the General Command of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) issued a statement confirming that Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh had been under siege for more than six months and that there was no SDF military presence in Aleppo. The statement emphasized that the interim government’s claims of a “security threat” were merely a pretext to justify massacres.

9 January: Continued Attacks on Aleppo Neighborhoods

On 9 January, factions affiliated with the Damascus government continued their brutal attacks on the Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh, and Bani Zaid neighborhoods, using tanks, artillery, and drones, committing massacres in these areas.

10 January: Turkish Air Power Enters the Escalation

On 10 January, a Turkish Akinci armed drone targeted a military point in the Al-Thawra oil field south of Tabqa. At the same time, dozens of civilians were documented as having been abducted from Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, alongside the launch of false accusations regarding the cutting of water supplies at the Babiri water station east of Aleppo.

11–12 January: Expansion of Attacks Toward Deir Hafir and Maskanah

On 11 and 12 January, factions of the interim government launched intensive attacks on Deir Hafir, Maskanah, and the Tishreen Dam, using artillery, loitering munitions, and Turkish Bayraktar and Akinci drones. The Deir Hafir bakery, the Deir Hafir post office, and the villages of Qashla, Sheikh Hassan, and Al-Mahshiya were shelled. Heavy-weapon attacks continued throughout 13 January.

14 January: Systematic Targeting of Infrastructure

On 14 January, factions of the interim government shelled the sugar factory in Deir Hafir and repeatedly targeted the Tishreen Dam, as well as the city of Maskanah four times using drones, in addition to the village of al-Bu‘asi south of Tabqa.

15–16 January: Indiscriminate Shelling and Forced Displacement

On 15 and 16 January, attacks on Deir Hafir continued, with residential neighborhoods targeted by booby-trapped UAVs, aimed at forcing residents to flee.

17 January: Violation of Withdrawal Agreement and Outbreak of Widespread Clashes

Despite an internationally sponsored agreement for an organized withdrawal from Deir Hafir and Maskanah announced by the SDF, factions of the interim government entered both cities before the withdrawal was completed and attacked withdrawing forces. This led to clashes in Maskanah, Dibs Afnan, the Al-Thawra field, and the surroundings of al-Rasafa, alongside an expansion of attacks on Tabqa.

18 January: Expansion of Attacks to Deir ez-Zor

On 18 January, factions of the interim government launched attacks on Al-Gharanij, Abu Hamam, al-Kashkiyah, Dhiban, and Al-Tayyaneh in the eastern Deir ez-Zor countryside, while continuing attacks on Raqqa city and its countryside, as well as Kobani.

19 January: A Paper Ceasefire and Continued Attacks on the Ground

Despite the interim prime minister, Ahmad al-Sharaa, announcing a ceasefire on 19 January, factions of the interim government launched violent attacks on Ain Issa, Al-Shaddadi, and Raqqa, particularly around al-Aqtaan and al-Shaddadi Prisons, which hold thousands of detained ISIS mercenaries.

Turkish drones also shelled Mount Kazwan south of Hasakah, while factions of the interim government bombarded the surroundings of Tal Baroud and Zerghan in the Hasakah countryside, alongside continued attacks on the city of Kobani.

20 January: An 8 p.m. Truce… and Violations Continue

On 20 January, al-Sharaa announced a new four-day truce to implement the integration agreement. Nevertheless, shelling continued on the towns of Zerghan and Tal Baroud in the Hasakah countryside, and attacks on Kobani persisted.

Ceasefires as Cover for a War of Extermination

From Aleppo to Deir ez-Zor, and from Raqqa to Hasakah, Kobani, and Tabqa, it is evident that what occurred was not a series of isolated incidents, but rather a comprehensive, multi-front military campaign led by the occupying Turkish state under the banner of the interim government, accompanied by racially charged support from segments of Arab media.

Every announced agreement was violated, every declared truce was used to expand attacks on the region and commit massacres against its people, and every promise of de-escalation served as cover for an open war.

ANHA